Gay teen outed to parents by principal, denied valedictorian speech

A Colorado charter school is under fire after blocking a speech from a class valedictorian in which he planned to out himself as gay.

Evan Young, 18, of Twin Peaks Charter Academy in Longmont, who graduated with a 4.5 GPA and scholarship to Rutgers University, wasn’t recognized as valedictorian at his school’s ceremony on May 16, the Daily Camera reported.

“My main theme is that you’re supposed to be respectful of people, even if you don’t agree with them,” Young said. “I figured my gayness would be a very good way to address that.”

The school said Young failed to send in revised version of the speech, which he claims was emailed to the principal several days in advance. The school said he also “failed to follow guidelines of the evening by removing the sleeves of his graduation gown.”

The principal called Young’s father, Don, and outed the teen to his parents, the Daily Camera reported.

“His mother and I were not sure that his coming out in a valedictorian speech was the appropriate place to say it, with grandchildren and 3-year-olds in the audience, and that’s kind of what we said to BJ,” Young’s father said.

“It’s wrong, and it’s not fair. The young man has all but a 4.5 GPA; he has told me that since a toddler he has worked for that honor, and they denied it,” Mardi Moore with LGBT advocacy group Out Boulder said.

Young gave the speech in Boulder, Colo., at Out Boulder Sunday night.

Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva